The Dark Side of the Moon
by Lyralocke
Summary: Kataang. The full moon is agitating Katara, and as if things can't get any worse, Aang is injured, and the only way to get him to safety is to become a prisoner of the Fire Nation. But there may be more at stake than Katara knows.
1. Chapter 1

_I wrote this a while ago. Really, a long while ago. Like, right after the episode where they met Toph. So if the story doesn't line up with the actual continuity, that's why. I've been debating putting this up for a while, because at this point I really don't like it anymore. But it's been burning a hole in my documents, so I figured what the heck._

_It's six chapters long, and I think they're all kind of short. They're at least not astronomically long. The whole thing seems kind of cliche to me... I don't know. It's different from what I usually write, because stuff actually happens. Eh, whatever. Let me know if you want me to continue._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar. I do, however, own a really cute pair of shoes. Just bought 'em. They have pinstripes!_

* * *

CHAPTER 1

"Katara? Hey, Katara."

Katara looked over. She had been sitting against a tree trunk at the edge of the clearing they were camping in for the night. The trees of this forest were tall and close together, but the clearing was big enough to allow them all a glimpse at the nearly full moon hanging in the sky. In three nights' time, the moon would be full, and Katara would spend another sleepless night away from camp, trying to calm herself. The full moon affected her in strange ways. She was full of energy, her waterbending became more powerful, and she became very aware of all of her senses and feelings. And that included her rapidly developing feelings for the very boy who was calling her name.

She felt an alarming want for him, a strange kind of hunger she was completely unfamiliar with. It frightened her to no end. No matter how far she went from camp, she could still smell him, this clean, airy scent that she had only just begun to notice since they had met the fortuneteller Aunt Wu, but was so distinctly Aang. Apparently this heightening of the senses happened to all waterbenders, but she had never expected to feel anything like this for her best friend. Sure, she knew she had something of a crush on him, absurd as the term sounded when relating to him, but when the moon was full she absolutely _wanted_ him, wanted to be near him, wanted him to feel what she was feeling...

"Sorry, what did you say?" she said with a smile as Aang sat down in front of her. He was holding two bowls of stew.

"Here, dinner," he said with a smile, offering one of the bowls to her. She gratefully accepted it. Her eyes flicked up to the moon. Her senses were already growing more agitated, even though it wouldn't be full for three more days. She could feel his body heat and smell his breezy scent as though he were right beside her. She felt heat rising to her cheeks and quickly busied herself with her dinner, unconsciously avoiding the meat in the stew. She hadn't realized it, but since she met Aang, she had begun losing her taste for meat. Sokka and Toph had noticed. But neither said anything.

"What were you doing over here, all by yourself?" Aang asked curiously as he too picked his way through the stew.

"I was fixing this," she said, holding up the necklace he had given her back on the day they had met that fortuneteller. The day she had first realized that maybe they had potential to be more than best friends. Or maybe... it was just the day that she first really wanted to do something about it.

"You still have that?" Aang asked with an excited smile. Katara blushed a little. His scent was making her a little lightheaded. "I thought you'd gotten rid of it when I got your mom's necklace back."

"No, I kept it," Katara said, smiling back and looking at the necklace fondly. "You worked really hard on it, just for me. I'll never get rid of it."

It was Aang's turn to blush. Katara grinned. "Some of the fishing line snapped in my bag, so I was fixing it," she continued. She held it up for his inspection. "Good as new, don't you think?"

Aang smiled. "I... um... I'm really glad you kept it, Katara," he said simply, blushing nervously. He stood up and took both of their bowls back to the fire without another word. She watched him go. He had just turned thirteen a little while ago, and it seemed to have turned over a new leaf for him. He had grown quite a bit taller, now standing eye-to-eye with her. His voice cracked occasionally, which made Katara smile and Aang blush profusely. His face had begun to look more like Sokka's, his chin and cheekbones more prominent. She could tell he would be very handsome as an adult.

Katara sighed. She shouldn't be thinking like that. She would have fought for him if he was any other boy, as was her nature. But he was the Avatar. His duty was to the world, and involving herself would just mess with his hormones. He didn't need that, not with everything else he had to deal with. She sighed again. She was beginning to dislike the full moon

* * *

"Wake up! Everybody get up! Hurry!"

Katara jerked awake when she heard Toph shouting. She rubbed her eyes and looked around quickly, forgetting where she was for a moment. She remembered fixing her necklace and eating dinner with Aang, watching as the boys fell asleep, and then she had drifted off as well. It couldn't be morning already. She glanced up at the dark sky. It definitely was not morning.

"Wake up wake up! Move it, Twinkle Toes!" Toph shouted again, stomping past the flying bison.

Aang, sleeping on Appa's furry tail as usual, jumped up in surprise and promptly fell to the ground. Katara got to her feet immediately and crouched beside him, slowly pulling the sleepy airbender to his feet. He stumbled drowsily. Katara placed a gentle hand on his chest to steady him and blushed as his heady scent invaded her mind.

"I'm not kidding, people! Snoozles, up!"

Sokka mumbled something that sounded like "gamkerflaffel" and turned over, still very much asleep.

"Whasgoinon?" Aang muttered tiredly, leaning against Katara and closing his eyes. The young waterbender wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him from falling, trying to ignore how warm he was. She watched blankly as Toph ran around the clearing, grabbing things from the ground and throwing them up into Appa's saddle.

"Toph, what's wrong?" Katara called, trying to get the perturbed earthbender's attention. "We just fell asleep. It's the middle of the night."

"Someone's coming this way!" Toph shouted, grabbing Sokka's bedroll out from under him and tossing it unceremoniously onto Appa's back. Sokka let out a muffled yell of protest from his face-first position in the dirt. "And there're a lot of them," Toph continued, ignoring him. "It feels like a whole army coming this way."

Katara didn't question her. No time for that. "Aang, come on, we have to get moving," she said quietly, giving him an urgent shake.

"No thanks, I don't eat meat," he mumbled placidly.

Katara bit her lip and placed her hands on his shoulders, shaking him briskly. "Aang, up, now!" she said loudly. He opened his eyes and found himself nose-to-nose with her. They both blushed and Katara was seized with a sudden impulse to move closer, but she resisted and ran off to coax a whining Sokka off of the ground.

"Wait," Toph said suddenly, freezing. Everyone stopped and looked at her. Her eyes narrowed. "They all just stopped. They were marching a second ago, and now they're not."

Katara looked up at the moon, as she tended to do a lot when it was getting full. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as a strangely familiar smell reached her. It was very faint, but it filled her with a sense of dread.

Aang quietly walked over to the edge of the clearing and grabbed his staff, only to find himself face-to-face with a Fire Nation soldier, standing silently among the trees. He shouted in surprise, and the firebender immediately blasted him in the stomach with a flaming punch, sending him reeling back into the clearing.

"Aang!" Katara shouted reflexively, racing forward and catching him before he hit the ground. Sokka and Toph backed toward her slowly as more and more soldiers emerged from the trees. Katara didn't even notice them. She was busy panicking over the young man in her arms. He wasn't moving at all, his eyes were closed, and his breath was coming in short bursts. Sokka and Toph stood protectively in front of them. Katara didn't know what to do. It had all happened so fast.

"You fool!" an unfamiliar voice shouted from back in the trees. A bald firebender with a thick mustache and eyebrows to match burst into the clearing. The dark red sash wrapped up over one shoulder showed that he was a captain in Ozai's army. "I told you, the Avatar must be captured alive," the man said to the soldier who had hit Aang. The admiral looked down at Katara. "He's not dead, is he?" he asked nonchalantly.

Katara looked up at him in disbelief, anger building within her. "You stay away from him!" she shouted, pulling the unconscious Avatar possessively against herself.

"Ah, so you're rather attached to him, are you?" the man asked with an amused smile.

"Katara, stay calm," Sokka muttered to her. "Don't say anything."

"Katara..."

Sokka and the captain looked over. Aang's eyes were half open. He looked confused. "Katara," he said again, his voice quiet and thin. "What..."

"Aang," she breathed, feeling nearly lightheaded with relief. Sokka glanced up at the captain, who was watching with interest. He waved his hand and the soldiers began to move slowly toward them.

"Aang, can you hear me? How do you feel?" Katara whispered, leaning down toward him so he could hear her. That hunger, that primal urge flickered through her, but she ignored it. Not right now. Not while he was like this.

"Tired," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"Aang, no, you have to stay awake!" Katara breathed frantically, but it was too late. He had lost consciousness again. She let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes. _What am I supposed to do?_

"That's very touching, but I'm afraid I need to take the boy off your hands," the captain said, stepping toward her. Sokka moved between them.

"Stay away from my sister," he growled. Toph was on Katara's other side, listening as the firebenders slowly closed in.

"Toph," Katara whispered so quietly, she knew Toph was the only one who would hear. "When I count to three, get Aang onto Appa." She gave the tiniest nod to show she had heard.

"One..."

Katara gathered her legs beneath herself and pulled Aang closer to her chest. Toph slowly stepped back toward Katara.

"Two..."

Adrenaline rushed through Katara's veins, pushing away the fog left behind by the whirl of emotions she had gone through in the past five minutes. Aang's breathing became more ragged. She felt panic rising in her chest.

"Three!"

Katara jumped to her feet, pulling Aang up into Toph's arms. In a few deft movements she was between the firebenders and Toph, water from her satchel whipping out about her hands.

"Sokka, move!" Katara shouted, but Sokka was already running toward Appa, boomerang in hand. Toph jumped to Appa's head, groping around for the reins. She had never been in control before, but now was not the time to worry about that. Sokka jumped into the saddle and offered a hand down to Katara.

"Come on, hurry!" he shouted to her. Katara was trying hard to concentrate. She could hear Aang's tortured breathing, feel his warmth fading. She grabbed Sokka's hand and closed her eyes, trying to block it out, trying not the think of the weakening Avatar just a few feet away. But she felt a hand close over her ankle.

"Get the girl!" the captain shouted, changing tactics in the blink of an eye.

She looked up and saw Sokka's panicked expression. He was shouting something, but she wasn't paying attention. There were firebenders closing in behind her, arms wrapping around her waist and grabbing her arms. She lost her grip on Sokka's hand and found herself being pulled back toward the captain. She was panicking. Not for herself, but for Aang.

"Sokka, go!" she heard herself shouting. "Go! Now!"

"Katara, no!" Sokka shouted back. "I promised dad I'd protect you!"

"Sokka!" Katara was screaming frantically as the soldiers were pulling her arms behind her back. "Please, you have to save Aang!"

"But Katara-"

"Sokka please!" she was getting desperate, and it showed in her voice. "Save him! I'll be fine!" She turned to the earthbender at the reins. "Toph, go!"

"But..." Toph muttered. She and Katara had become rather close in the past few months. The thought of leaving her behind...

"Please, just go!"

Toph closed her eyes and shouted, "Yip yip!" Appa took off into the dark night sky. Katara silently watched them go. She heard Sokka shouting her name.

"How very noble of you," the captain said with a grin. Katara scowled at him. "Come on then, back to base."

The soldiers fell into ranks and started marching back the way they came, Katara in the middle of them with her wrists bound behind her back. _Please be okay, Aang. Please..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the reviews. I appreciate it greatly._

_This chapter is a prime example of the fact that I wrote this like a billion years ago. You'll understand once you read it._

_Disclaimer: I still do not own Avatar._

* * *

CHAPTER 2

"Knock knock."

Katara looked up at her cell door. The captain let himself in. The two guards stationed outside the door followed. Katara was sitting against the back wall of her small cell, wrists bound in front of her and a scowl on her face. She hadn't moved all night and long into morning.

"Come along, little waterbender," the captain said. The two guards lifted Katara roughly to her feet and pushed her into the hallway.

"What do you want, _captain_?" Katara hissed as they began to walk down the hall.

"Please, call me Liung," the captain said smoothly. "Since we'll be spending so much time together, I think we can be on a first name basis." Katara remained silent, frown still firmly in place. She had been captured, yes, but she didn't need to be pleasant about it. Her stubborn nature wouldn't let her. They came to a cell at the end of the hall. Liung turned to face her.

"I have a proposition for you, Katara," he said. "There is a troublesome town nearby surrounded by canals, and we have been unable to get our troops inside. But if we had a waterbending master such as yourself, we could use their canals against them."

"What makes you think that I'd help you?" Katara growled viciously.

Liung scratched his chin thoughtfully. "It's quite interesting, really," he said lightly. "You see, several weeks ago my troops ran across a group of water tribe warriors. We clearly outmatched them, but one of them turned himself over to us to give the others a chance to escape. Much like you did."

Katara did not like where this was going. She felt dread rising in her throat.

"A man named Hakoda. I believe you might be acquainted."

Katara gasped. The guards opened the cell door.

"Dad!" she shouted, lurching forward, but the guards held her back.

"Katara?"

The sight of her father was such a shock, she had shouted and jumped before she had even believed what she was seeing. She knew that, had she been a year or so younger, she would have started crying. But she didn't cry anymore. It had been so long since she had seen him. And she had been through so much since he had left. She had changed, but it didn't look like he had. She looked at him sadly. He looked a little older, and he seemed very tired and sort of ragged. He was bound at the wrists like Katara, but he also had chains on his ankles, binding him to the back wall of his cell. He looked just as surprised to see her, if not more.

"Katara, what are you doing here? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked slowly but sincerely, sounding as though he didn't quite know what to say. It must have been unnerving. The last time he had seen her, she had been his little daughter, and now, she was a young woman. He moved to come toward her, to hug her, but the guards in his cell held him back.

"I'm alright, considering," she said quietly, looking down tiredly. "Dad..."

"What about Sokka? Where's your brother?" Hakoda asked, trying to keep her calm.

"He's safe, he's with the Avatar," Katara continued.

"Yes, Bato told me you two were traveling with the Avatar," her father said, offering her a tired smile. Katara tried to return it, but she stopped, a few rebellious tears stinging at her eyes. But she wouldn't let them fall. She was stronger than that. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Aang, dad. He's hurt," Katara said quietly, fighting to keep the distress from her voice. "I gave myself over so Sokka could escape and get him some help. He... he's... I don't know if he'll be okay..."

"Katara, it's okay," her father said gently, recognizing the warning signs that she was near tears. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"This is very touching and all," Liung interrupted. Katara looked over at him, anger burning through the tears in her eyes. "But this is why you will help me."

One of the guards in her father's cell moved behind him and unsheathed his sword, pressing the blade to Hakoda's throat.

"Dad, no!" Katara shouted in horror, trying to jerk out of the grasp of the soldiers. His eyes were wide with surprise.

"Help me take this town, without complaint or escape attempts, and your father will live," the captain said easily.

Her father shook his head quickly, but the guard pressed the blade sharply against his neck and he froze. Katara backed away a few steps, panicking. For the second time in so many hours, she didn't know what to do. Her pulse pounded in her ears. With a shaky sigh, she finally looked down.

"Alright," she said quietly, the voice of a girl defeated. "I'll help you."

"Excellent. I knew you'd see it my way, little waterbender. You just needed some... persuasion," Liung said with a grin, placing his hand on Katara's shoulder. She shrugged it away.

Katara looked at her father sadly. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. The guards pulled her along, back toward her cell. She walked in silence. She had lost.

* * *

Katara jumped to her feet as the cell door opened again several hours later. Captain Liung walked in and looked at her for a moment. She stared straight ahead, keeping all emotion hidden. 

"You may be a powerful bender," he said quietly, tipping her chin up with his fingers. She instinctively shivered, but she didn't make a sound. She just kept staring straight ahead. "But you're still just a foolish little girl. You let the Avatar get far too close. Don't look so sad though, little waterbender. I'm sure the Avatar is on his way here right now." Katara's eyes widened. "It's a good thing we found such lovely bait."

"No..." Katara whispered, horrified.

Liung chuckled. "Yes, and don't worry. We'll have a very warm welcome waiting for him." Katara clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes angrily. Liung strode out and closed the door.

"Get some rest, you have a busy day tomorrow," he called through the door.

Katara backed into the wall and slid to the floor. "Aang... don't come..." she whispered. "Please stay away..."

The moon shone in through the barred window of her cell, signaling the beginning of her second night in this prison. Come tomorrow, her powers would be growing and she would be set against a town of innocent people. Then, in two nights, the moon would be full, and Katara would be sitting in this cell, wide awake, hungry for the Avatar. This was clearly the dark side of the moon.

* * *

Aang opened his eyes. He had no idea where he was, but his head was pounding and his stomach hurt. "What... where am I?" he muttered. He was lying on a bed in a small hut. Asleep in a chair next to him was Sokka. Aang sat up slowly and looked out the window. Appa and Momo were right outside the window, sleeping as well. Past them, Aang could see the outskirts of a quiet little village. The moon was shining through, showing that night had fallen. 

Sokka stirred. He looked over and saw Aang sitting up. "Aang, you're awake!" he shouted excitedly. Aang ignored him and looked down at himself. He was wearing only his pants, and there were bandages wrapping from his waist to his underarms.

"Toph, get in here! He's awake!"

"Sokka, what happened?" Aang asked quietly, confused.

Sokka looked at him for a long moment. Aang noticed that Sokka looked pale and tired. He started to worry.

"We were attacked, remember? A Fire Nation soldier took you down in the forest," Sokka said seriously as Toph walked in.

Aang's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah. What happened? Is everybody okay?"

Sokka and Toph looked down sadly.

"Sokka?" Aang asked nervously. He stopped and looked around again. He suddenly felt like his stomach had dissolved. "Sokka, where's Katara?"

Sokka looked away and closed his eyes. Aang began to panic. "Where's Katara?" he repeated.

"Aang..." Toph began quietly. Aang froze. She never called him Aang. It was always 'Twinkle Toes' or 'Airhead.' She sighed heavily. "They got her."

"They... the Fire Nation... they have Katara?" Aang stammered. He seemed to be having trouble breathing.

Sokka remained silent. Toph closed her eyes sadly.

"How long have I been like this?" Aang gasped.

"Just about a day," Toph replied quietly.

Aang's eyes widened. "She's been... they've had her for... for a day? A whole day?" he choked out. Tears were welling up in his eyes. It was all his fault. _Katara_. The Fire Nation had _Katara_. Who knows what they could have done to her?

"Aang..." Toph began. Aang pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. His breathing was ragged.

"It's all... my fault... she's..." Aang said between sobs. He stopped speaking, trying to breathe. Sokka looked up at him.

"Oh no... Toph, stand back," he said quickly. Aang's teeth were clenched and his tattoos were beginning to glow. The air around him began spinning. He opened his glowing, tear-filled eyes and rose into the air. He turned and looked down at Sokka, who was standing protectively in front of Toph.

_"Where is she?!"_ Aang shouted, the voices of a thousand Avatars layering over his own. _"Where did they take her?!"_

"Aang! You have to calm down!" Sokka shouted over the roar of the wind.

Aang tipped his head back and let out an anguished roar, fire bursting from his throat. _"If they've hurt her... if they've touched her..."_ he continued shouting. _"I'll destroy them! I'll destroy them all!"_

"Aang! Calm down!" Sokka yelled again.

"What do we do?" Toph called.

"I don't know," Sokka replied. "Katara's the only one who can calm him down when he's like this."

Toph stepped forward, throwing an arm up over her eyes to shield herself from the wind. "Aang, stop it!" she shouted. "Katara needs you! You can't help her like this!"

Aang turned his glowing eyes on her.

"She needs Aang, not the Avatar," Toph continued shouting. "She needs you, Aang!"

Aang settled back onto the ground. The wind subsided. His tattoos and eyes faded back to normal. Sokka jumped forward and grabbed him as he stumbled. To Sokka's great surprise, Aang latched onto the front of his shirt and started crying.

"I'm so sorry!" Aang cried, sobbing into Sokka's shirt. "It's my fault they took her! I'm so sorry!"

Sokka patted him awkwardly on the back, not sure what to do.

"It's not your fault, Aang," he said. "It's the Fire Nation's fault. Now we have to go get her back."

Aang sniffed in response.

"Get some rest," Sokka continued. "Toph and I will go get some supplies. Stay here, alright?"

Aang nodded. Sokka and Toph left quietly. Aang curled up in a corner, tears dripping from his chin. "I'm so sorry..." he whispered.

Miles away, Katara was in the same position, staring at the wall. Dried tears left salty stains down her cheeks. She didn't care. She was dreading the morning. But she was truly afraid of the night following the next. The full moon. Being away from Aang... it would probably drive her crazy.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I continue not owning Avatar  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 3

Katara woke up in the early afternoon. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. She had been woken up by a smell. A heavy, musky, burnt kind of smell. She knew immediately that Captain Liung was coming her way. As the full moon drew nearer, her senses sharpened more and more. It was convenient at times, but this was just painful.

"Rise and shine," Liung said, throwing her door open. She rose to her feet slowly and moved toward the door, hands folded neatly in front of herself to keep the shackles on her wrists in a more comfortable position. She prevented herself from gagging as she felt the heat radiating from him as she drew closer.

"Oh, have you been crying?" Liung said maliciously, reaching out and stroking her cheek. Katara jerked away from his hand in disgust. She _had_ been crying. She couldn't help it. It had been a rather new experience for her. She hadn't really truly cried in a long, long time. "I understand. The full moon is making you edgy," Liung said in response to the look of revulsion on her face. "Well, come along then, little waterbender. We're off to that pesky town."

The guards grabbed her by the elbows and shoved her down the hall. As she passed her father's cell, she closed her eyes and inhaled, taking in his familiar scent. She sighed a little. It reminded her of home. She stopped for a moment, frowning. Her father and her brother both smelled rather similar, but she realized that another boy smelled a little like her father. Aang. The Avatar's scent reminded her of home, made her comfortable. Maybe that was what had drawn her to him so strongly in the beginning. Maybe that was a little part of the reason she was falling for him.

Her musings were interrupted when she was pushed roughly into the back of a cart drawn by two rhinos. Two guards rode in the back with her. Katara didn't make a sound. She just stared blankly at her feet.

After a while of riding in silence, one of the guards looked at her curiously. "Not much of a talker, are you?" he said to her.

Katara glanced at him for a moment before returning her forlorn gaze to her feet.

The other guard elbowed the first. "You heard the captain, no talking to the prisoner."

"Come on, she's just a kid," the first guard argued. He moved toward Katara and crouched in front of her, looking curiously at her. "What's wrong, kid? Cat got your tongue?" he asked, tilting her chin up with his fingers just like Liung had. Katara shuddered and closed her eyes, trying to keep herself from just kicking him and getting it over with. The guard jumped back from her as though her skin had burned him. The second guard looked at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, glancing at Katara, who was watching them warily.

"Nothing," the first guard said shakily. "It's just... for a second there, she looked just like my daughter."

"So?" the second guard said, raising an eyebrow. Katara returned her focus to her feet.

"I dunno, it's just kind of weird," the first guard said, staring at her. "The captain tells us these waterbenders are barbarians, but she's just a little girl. A little girl who looks just like _my_ little girl."

Katara looked up at him stonily. He looked away quickly. Luckily, the cart rolled to a stop. The admiral opened the back. "Bring her out," he said simply. The soldiers each grabbed one of her elbows, but Katara noticed that the first one was being much gentler than the other.

Katara looked at the town in front of her. The Fire Nation soldiers were lined up in ranks in front of it. A much smaller force of Earth Kingdom soldiers stood facing them from across a wide canal. The smell of both armies nearly overwhelmed her. She stopped dead in her tracks, drew her bound hands to her forehead and closed her eyes. The guards looked at her curiously. After a few moments, she opened her eyes, sighed, and continued walking. The guards placed her beside the captain, who stood in front of his troops right next to the canal. The Earth Kingdom soldiers all looked at her curiously, taking in her dark water tribe skin and the heavy shackles on her wrists. They didn't understand why this water tribe girl was standing before them.

"People... people are going to die..." Katara began quietly, eyes roving over the small houses. The streets were deserted.

"No no, the people are all safe in their homes," Liung said simply.

"In the middle of the day?" Katara questioned doubtfully.

"Whenever we come they send out an alarm, and all of the citizens take cover," Liung continued. He looked down at her. "I hope you can waterbend wearing those chains, because I'm not removing them."

Katara didn't argue. She looked at the canal. She felt that familiar itch under her skin. The water was calling her. She stepped toward it, and the once calm water shifted. She looked up at the Earth Kingdom soldiers. They were staring at her, confused, curious. She looked behind her. The Fire Nation soldiers and the captain had all backed away from her.

The man in charge of the Earth Kingdom troops stepped forward, shouting from across the canal. "What's the meaning of this, Liung? You send a little girl, a prisoner against us?"

Katara bit her lip and looked at the man. He looked back at her. She felt tears stinging her eyes again. Second time in two days. A new record. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. The man looked confused. She stepped toward the canal, stretching her bound hands toward the water. An immense peace washed over her as her mind went blank. She was in her element now. Of course, that didn't change what she was doing. Water sloshed up out of the canals, forming a huge wall before her. She saw the terrified looks of the soldiers beyond the water. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

* * *

Katara sat in her cell, in the same position as usual. She was staring at the door. She hadn't said a word in the hours since the Fire Nation took that town. She had been wearing the same blank expression the whole time. The sun was setting. She could hear the guards walking down the hallway. She could feel their body heat and smell them too. She began drumming her nails on her shackles. Her heart rate was increasing. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. 

She groaned and closed her eyes, leaning back and thumping the back of her head against the brick wall. She could smell her father down the hall. It reminded her of Aang. Aang. Her pulse kicked up another notch and her mouth went dry. She groaned again and continued thumping her head on the wall. "If I'm on edge like this now, imagine how I'll be tomorrow night," she sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks again for all the reviews!_

_Disclaimer: the not-owning-Avatar-ness continues.  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 4

"There it is," Sokka said, pointing down over the edge of Appa's saddle. At the edge of the forest was a large building surrounded by thick metal walls. Aang yanked on Appa's reins, bringing him down before the gate. The guards didn't seem surprised by a flying bison dropping down out of the dark predawn sky. Aang jumped from Appa's head and strode toward the gate. He pointed his staff threateningly at one of the gate's many guards.

"I want to talk to the captain," he said angrily. "Now!"

One of the guards slipped in through the gate. Aang looked back at Appa. Toph stood with her arms crossed over her chest, leaning against Appa's leg and tapping her foot on the ground, listening for any trouble. Sokka sat on Appa's head, reins in his hands, ready to take off in case of an emergency. Aang turned back to the gate. He noticed with some confusion that there was a large barrel of water on either side of the gate. That was unusual for a Fire Nation base.

* * *

"Wakey wakey, Katara," the captain said, banging on her cell door. Katara woke up from her fitful sleep. She scrubbed at her cheeks with the heels of her hands, trying to clean off the tears stains. She had been crying in her sleep. That hadn't happened since she was a little girl, after she'd lost her mother. She groaned a little and stood up, rubbing her sore wrists. Liung pushed the door open. 

"Sorry to wake you in the middle of the night, but I have a new job for you," he said, grinning with malice. "It's going to require some strenuous waterbending, so I'll get someone to remove those shackles."

"No need," Katara said quickly, blowing ice onto the metal and slamming the shackles against the wall. They shattered like glass. An irritated frown passed over Liung's face, but it passed quickly.

"I'm surprised you didn't try that before," he said silkily.

"Don't be," she replied darkly. "You would have killed my father."

Liung chuckled and walked out the door. The guards walked in and led her out, following the captain. She didn't say another word until they reached the gate, which was closed. The captain stopped and turned to her.

"There is an intruder on my property," he said simply. "I want you to get rid of him. Take him down so we can take him prisoner. Any questions?"

"Yes," Katara said warily. "Who is this intruder?"

"I believe you know him," Liung said carelessly. "The Avatar."

Katara's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in horror. "No..."

The guards began pulling the gate open. She caught a glimpse of Aang, standing before the gate. She stepped back from the captain, shaking her head. "No... no, I can't do this," she said quietly, panicking once again. She turned to the captain, terrified. "Please, please don't make me do this." Tears stung at her eyes again, no matter how hard she tried to hold them back. "I'll do whatever you want, just please don't make me hurt him," she cried desperately.

"Begging? How disappointing," the captain said, shaking his head. "What would your father say?"

The captain placed a hand on Katara's shoulder and steered her out through the gate, stopping her between the two barrels just outside the walls. "Do not disappoint me," he said quietly in her ear, backing away behind the gate with the rest of the guards.

"Katara!" Aang shouted excitedly, running toward her. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt his body heat drawing near. Before she knew it, his arms were around her waist, pulling her against him. She closed her eyes and let herself go for a moment, placing her hands on his shoulders and resting her tired body against him. She buried her face in his shoulder, inhaling deeply and trying to comfort herself with his familiar smell. He could feel her heart beating furiously against him, her ragged breathing on his neck.

"Katara, I'm so glad you're okay," he said quietly, his voice cracking with emotion. "I was so worried about you..."

Katara bit her lip, more tears welling in her eyes. She heard the captain clear his throat behind her. "Aang..." she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Katara," he continued, his arms tightening around her. "It's all my fault you were captured... I'm sorry..."

"Shhhh... Aang, stop, please..." Katara whispered, placing her hands against his chest and pushing him away from her. He looked at her, confused.

"Katara... what's wrong?" he asked, startled to see the tears in her eyes.

She backed slowly behind the barrels of water. "I'm so sorry, Aang," she said quietly. She closed her eyes and extended her hands toward the barrels. Aang barely had time to look surprised before he was hit in the stomach by a large amount of water and thrown back across the ground.

Katara opened her eyes and saw him laboring to stand, confused, hurt, and she started to feel sick for what she had just done. "Aang!" she shouted. She was so confused, so conflicted. She hated herself for hurting him, and she knew she couldn't attack him again without tearing herself apart in the process. But her father would be killed if she didn't. She moved toward him out of instinct, her entire being rebelling against just letting him lay there.

"Don't go near him," she heard Liung shout from behind her. She stopped in her tracks. Aang looked up at her, so confused.

"Katara..." he said, the pain in his voice so obvious...

She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, trying to think. She could barely concentrate, not with Aang so close, his scent making her think of her father, that sword against his neck...

Her knees hit the ground. "What am I supposed to do?" she shouted in frustration.

Aang pulled himself to his feet, using his staff for support as his stomach began to throb. "That's it, time to figure out what's what," he said, jumping forward and whipping his staff toward the ground. In a great rush of wind, the air was filled with dust and dirt from the dry ground beneath their feet. Nobody could see a thing. Aang dropped to his knees in front of Katara.

"Katara, please, what's going on?" he asked quietly. He could hear the soldiers stumbling through the dark haze, trying to find them.

"Aang," Katara whispered frantically, looking up at him. "I'm so sorry, you're not hurt are you?" She reached toward him, fingers grazing his stomach where she hit him. She saw him flinch, felt the bandages beneath his shirt, and gasped. "Oh, Aang... that's where that firebender... I'm so sorry!"

Aang took her hands in his, attempting to stand. "Come on, Katara. We're getting out of here," he said quickly. But she didn't move. She just shook her head and pulled her hands from his, wiping her eyes.

"I can't," she said quietly. "You have to understand Aang... that's why I attacked you... they..." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "They have my _father_, Aang. They're threatening to kill him if I don't do as they say. I'm so sorry..."

"They have your father?" Aang repeated blankly. That explained everything. He wondered bleakly what else they had gotten her to do. It made him feel a little sick, so he quickly turned his attention back to her. He had never seen her fall to pieces like this before.

"Come on, I have an idea," he said suddenly, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. With a sweep of his staff, the dust cleared, and they found themselves surrounded by soldiers. Aang stepped toward the captain. Katara watched silently, rubbing her face again to wipe away more tear stains.

"Captain, I have a proposition for you," Aang said darkly.

"I'm listening," the captain said, stepping out of the gate.

Aang looked at Katara for a moment. His eyes flicked back to Sokka and Toph, watching and listening in dismay. He turned back to the captain with a scowl. "You let Katara and Hakoda go, and in return, I'll come without a fight," he said loudly.

"Aang, no!" Katara shouted, racing toward him and grabbing his arm.

"Dad?" Sokka gasped.

"What do you think you're doing, Twinkle Toes?!" Toph shouted.

"Alright, you have a deal," the captain said. "Someone go get the water tribe prisoner and bring him here." A few guards ran off.

Aang turned to Katara and was startled once again by the tears in her eyes.

"Aang, you know what you're doing, right?" she said quietly. "You... you can get out of here?"

"Don't worry about me," he said with a smile. "I've gotten away from the Fire Nation more than once. I think I can do it again. Just take care of Appa and Momo until I get back."

Katara bit her lip and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely. "Alright, I trust you..." she whispered. "But... if you're not out by tomorrow night, we're coming in after you, okay?" He could feel her shuddering breath against his ear as she tried to keep herself from falling apart.

A few guards pried him away from her. Katara felt herself trying to resist. She couldn't help it. His heat, his scent, his nearness, that stupid nearly-full moon hanging up above her, it invaded her mind. She pulled herself away, breaking their contact quickly. She watched blankly as they pulled Aang through the gates. He looked back at her for a moment before he disappeared from view.

All of the guards went inside the gates. She found herself very much alone. Then suddenly, Sokka and Toph were behind her. She found herself on her knees again. She could feel Sokka's hand on her back, she could hear his voice.

"Katara, dad's in there? What happened?..."

She took a deep breath. _So tired..._

Toph was saying something now. "Come on, Sugar Queen, he'll be fine..."

"Katara, _what happened?_"

Katara exhaled slowly. "I think I love him, Sokka," she whispered. Sokka and Toph fell silent. She closed her eyes. "I think I love him..."

"Katara! Sokka!"

Katara looked up. Her father was running out toward them.

"Dad!" Sokka shouted.

Katara felt herself and Sokka being pulled into a huge bear hug. She was pretty sure Toph had been pulled in too.

"Katara, what happened?" she heard her father say.

"That's what I'd like to know," Sokka added.

Katara latched onto the front of her dad's shirt and buried her face in the fabric, trying to keep herself from crying. "They took Aang, dad. I wasn't strong enough..."


	5. Chapter 5

_Snaps for father-son and father-daughter bonding!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING._

* * *

CHAPTER 5

Sokka looked over at Katara. She was sitting against Appa's leg, staring into the fire with a blank, haunted look in her eyes. She had been like that for a long time. Shortly after Aang had been taken, she had fallen asleep, being too emotionally and physically exhausted to keep her eyes open. Hakoda was tired and weak from his stay in the prison, so Sokka had carried her to Appa's saddle. They had then gone back to the campsite where Katara had been captured. While Katara slept, Sokka and Toph talked to Hakoda through the rest of the night. Katara had woken up just as the sun was rising. Since then, she had been sitting, staring into the flames of the campfire.

Toph had tried to talk to her, to ask her what happened while she was imprisoned, but Katara wasn't speaking and Toph was tired, so she gave up easily and curled up in her rock tent to try and get some sleep. Sokka and his father stayed by the fire, talking quietly in the cool morning air.

"Dad... I'm worried about her," Sokka said, glancing at his sister across the fire. She didn't seem to notice. "I think she's gotten too close to Aang."

"How do you figure?" Hakoda asked.

"Well... she just told me she thinks she loves him," Sokka replied awkwardly.

"Well, that clears it up," Hakoda chuckled. "When did she tell you this?"

Sokka shifted uneasily, staring at the ground. "In the few minutes after they took Aang and before you came out."

"Well, she was probably pretty emotional at the time," Hakoda said thoughtfully.

"I figured it might be the moon, too," Sokka added. Hakoda looked at him curiously. "Well, waterbenders draw their powers from the moon. Whenever it's full, Katara can't sleep. She usually goes and finds the nearest source of water. I know because I follow her sometimes to make sure she's okay."

Hakoda smiled. His son had been doing a wonderful job of protecting his daughter.

"She used to just waterbend all night. But a while after we started traveling with Aang, she stopped waterbending. She'd just get near some water and sit there, breathing really slow like she was trying to stay calm or something. The first time I noticed it was right after we parted ways with Bato."

"That's strange..." Hakoda admitted.

"And after that, I noticed that in the few days leading up to the full moon, she'd spend a lot more time with Aang," Sokka continued. "But she'd get all flustered around him every so often. I dunno... I thought she just had a crush on him. And it's not like Aang minds the attention. He's crazy about her."

"You seem to know a lot of what's going on among your little group, Sokka," Hakoda observed.

Sokka shrugged, the compliment going right over his head. He was still looking at Katara. "Everyone thinks I don't pay attention to anything, but they have no idea that I'm watching over them all the time. It's my job to protect them. Aang may be the Avatar, but he's still just a kid. Well... he's done a lot of growing up lately I guess, but I still need to watch out for him."

"Well, it's obvious that Katara is a little too close to Aang," Hakoda said, scratching his chin. "But do you have reason to believe that's a bad thing?"

Sokka thought about it for a minute. "I... hadn't really thought about it that way..."

"Well, you told me before that he's crazy about her," Hakoda began.

Sokka nodded. "And he's terrible at keeping it a secret, too. I think Katara's the only one on the planet who doesn't see it."

Hakoda laughed a little. "That tends to be the case," he said. "Would he ever hurt her?"

"Are you kidding? Aang would die before he hurt Katara," Sokka said seriously. "He accidentally burned her hands once, and he swore off firebending for the rest of his life. Of course, we know he'll have to do it eventually, but still..."

"Well then, the only question I have left is whether or not you think they could still be friends if a closer relationship didn't work out."

Sokka thought for a moment. "Yeah, they'll be friends no matter what," he said, nodding.

"Then I don't think you have anything to worry about," Hakoda said, patting his son's shoulder. "My little girl can take care of her heart."

Sokka looked down. "She's not a little girl anymore, dad," he muttered. "She's a master waterbender now, did you know that? And she's a healer, too. She's changed a lot since mom died. She's strong. She takes care of us."

Hakoda looked at him for a long time. "I'm proud of you, son," he said seriously. "You'll make a great father some day."

Sokka smiled. "Thanks, dad."

* * *

Katara was agitated. It was four hours past noon. In a few hours, when night fell, the moon would be full. She was already feeling it. She could smell her father, her brother, Toph, Appa, Momo, the forest, the guards at the prison... She had spent most of the afternoon either pacing or sitting with her back to a tree and banging her head on it. 

"Would you quit it, Sugar Queen?" Toph shouted at long last, finally getting tired of the banging and the pacing. "You're making me nervous."

"I can't help it," Katara grumbled. "The stupid moon is driving me crazy!" She didn't mention the fact that she was worried to death about Aang. She didn't need to mention it.

"The moon isn't stupid," Sokka muttered, annoyed.

"Oh... sorry, Sokka," Katara said quietly. "I didn't mean it that way..."

"What are you two talking about?" Hakoda asked, entering the clearing. He had been down at a nearby stream to wash up.

"Don't ask," Toph said shortly. "They won't answer you. They never answer _me_ when I ask."

Katara glanced at Sokka. "You didn't tell dad about Yue?" she asked quietly.

"We haven't even told Toph yet," he grumbled in reply.

"I know, but... this is dad," Katara continued gently.

Sokka sighed. "I'm not ready to tell anyone," he muttered.

Katara placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Alright, but when you are ready, she'll be right there with you," she said, smiling a little.

"Yeah," Sokka said heavily. "I know..."

"Besides, we know it's not just the moon driving you crazy," Toph added sourly. She began idly bending pebbles up off the ground, spinning them around her fingers with an intensely bored look on her face. "I'm worried about him too, you know."

Katara didn't say anything. She walked silently over to Appa's saddle, pulled out her water satchel, and muttered, "I'm going to the stream. Let me know if..." She trailed off and walked into the forest.

Toph just grumbled to herself. Sokka began to stand. "I'd better make sure she's-"

"It's okay, I'll go," Hakoda said, cutting him off. He got to his feet and followed her at a distance. He reached the stream shortly after her and hung back in the trees, watching. She was already waist-deep in the stream, bending the water all around her to ease her frustration. He smiled a little, impressed. She really was a master. Water was whipping every which way, but she was carefully orchestrating each curve and twist in the water's path.

"I know you're there," she said, just loud enough for him to hear. She didn't even look over. She just kept bending. Hakoda emerged slowly from the trees.

"How did you know?" he asked pleasantly.

"I could smell you," she replied simply, blue eyes following the water.

"Do I smell that bad? I just took a bath," he exclaimed with a smirk.

Katara let the water fall back into the stream and joined him on dry land. "No... it's just the moon," she muttered, sitting down at the water's edge and closing her eyes. She started breathing very deeply and slowly.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, taking a seat beside her.

Katara didn't open her eyes. She just shook her head. "I'd be lying if I said I was," she said dully.

"You're really worried about him," he said. It wasn't a question. Katara looked at her feet and remained silent, so Hakoda continued. "Do you love him?"

Katara didn't say anything for a very long time. She stared into the rippling current of the stream for several minutes while Hakoda waited. She finally sighed a little. "Yes."

Hakoda found himself feeling rather strange. His daughter, his little girl, had given her heart to another. He was silent for a while too.

"According to your brother, Aang is crazy about you," he said at long last.

Katara glanced at him. "...What do you mean?" she said slowly.

Hakoda nodded. "Sokka told me Aang would do anything for you, and you're the only one in the world who hasn't noticed," he said simply.

Katara began to feel rather numb. She had always known Aang cared a lot for her, maybe even had a crush on her. But... crazy about her? Would do anything for her? She smiled a little in spite of herself.

"Do you feel any better now?" Hakoda asked, smiling back.

Katara sighed and shook her head. "I've never been afraid of rejection," she said honestly. "Even if he didn't feel the same way, I knew we could still be friends. And that would be enough for me. I just..." She sighed again. "I can't tell him. I can't put him through this right now. He's the Avatar. He has a lot to worry about, and I don't want him to have to worry about me any more than he already does."

Hakoda wasn't sure what to say. What she said made sense. But he didn't want her to be suffering alone. He didn't want her to have to hold down these feelings for too long. But he didn't know how to communicate this to her in a sensitive way. He thought for several moments.

"Do you think maybe he could be worrying about how to tell you about his feelings? Or that maybe you don't feel the same? That's a lot more distracting than worrying about you when he knows you love him," he said, slowly and thoughtfully.

Katara looked at him. "That... makes sense..." she said quietly.

Hakoda smiled gently and placed a hand on her back. "See? Your old man still knows what he's talking about," he said. Then he frowned a little. "Katara... when your mom died, you had to grow up a lot in a short amount of time. You've become a very mature young woman while I was gone. And now you've fallen in love. When I first saw you in that prison, I still thought of you as a little girl. But... now I see you're not a little girl anymore."

Katara smiled and leaned against his shoulder, closing her eyes tiredly. "I missed you," she said simply.

He smiled. "Missed you too, kid," he replied.

* * *

"Do you think she was serious?" 

Sokka looked over at Toph. She was sitting against a tree, eyes closed in a moment of relaxation.

"Hm?" he muttered, stirring the embers of the campfire with a stick.

"Do you think Katara was serious when she said she loved Aang?" Toph asked calmly.

Sokka stared at her for a long time. "Do you think she was?" he asked.

Toph paused for a moment. "Yes. But I don't know her as well as you do," she said.

Sokka thought for a little while. He nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see it. "Yeah, I think she was serious," he said. "Why do you ask?"

Toph shrugged. "I just know that if she's serious, things are going to change between all four of us," she said. "I know it won't change too much, but it will be different."

Sokka nodded again, smiling a little. "Wow, Toph," he said. "I didn't realize you gave anything this much thought."

"I could say the same thing about you," she replied, smiling as well.


	6. Chapter 6

_Here's the final chapter. Thanks for all the reviews. I don't know if I really like the ending very much, but who knows, it might not be that bad. I kinda hate everything I write._

_Disclaimer: Got no common sense, I got nobody left to believe in. Nor have I got any Avatar.  
_

* * *

CHAPTER 6

"It's starting to get dark," Sokka said, looking up at the sky. He could see the pale shadow of the full moon in the twilit sky. He glanced at Katara. She hadn't been able to stop moving all evening. She paced, she cleaned, she cooked, she did whatever she could to keep herself occupied.

"I think we have to go and spring Aang," Sokka continued, following Katara's progress around the campsite with his eyes. She finally stopped moving and looked over at him.

"Sounds good to me," Toph said, jumping to her feet. She grabbed her bag and leapt up into Appa's saddle. "Shall we?"

Sokka and Katara helped their father up and Sokka took the reins. "So what's the plan?" he asked.

"We create a diversion to give Aang a chance to escape," Katara said simply.

"That's just vague enough to work," Hakoda said with a grin

* * *

"Ready?" Hakoda whispered. They were all hidden in the trees, looking out at the main gate of the base. Everything was quiet. Sokka and Toph nodded. Katara took a deep breath. This was it. The full moon. She could feel heat all around her, smell every living thing in the area. And she wanted Aang out of that prison. 

"The water barrels are still there," she said quietly. "And with my bending at its strongest, these guards don't stand a chance."

"Especially if both of us go after them at the same time," Toph said with a wicked grin. "They won't know what hit them. Let's do this!"

Sokka nodded. "Dad and I will wait back here with Appa. Once you get rid of the guards, we'll all go after the gate," he said quietly.

Toph and Katara nodded. Katara looked over at the earthbender. "Can you see everything okay?" she asked.

Toph kicked her heel against the ground a couple times. She nodded. "The ground's pretty solid here. I can see everything that's touching the dirt," she said, still grinning.

"Alright, time to go," Sokka said. The benders nodded again. Before Hakoda's surprised eyes, the girls both jumped forward. They moved around each other effortlessly. Every step one made was matched by the other as they skidded around in perilous circles, always just a few inches from being smashed to pieces by the other's element. All of the guards were on the ground before they had time to react.

"It looks like you do this a lot," Hakoda muttered as Katara checked the pulse of one of the guards. His eyes traveled to Toph, who was standing over another. He groaned and moved a little, so Toph gave him a swift kick. She nodded, satisfied, and walked back to the trees, followed by Katara.

"Yeah, we do," Sokka said with a grin. He turned back to the flying bison. "Okay, Appa, let's get Aang out of there." He pointed at the gate. Appa snorted and charged forward, ramming headlong into the gate. The walls shook. Several people shouted from within the complex.

"Quite a distraction," Sokka said with a grin. Toph and Hakoda smirked as well. Katara didn't smile. She lifted some water from the barrels and idly twisted it between her fingers, unable to stop moving. Appa rammed the gate again. It buckled inward. More shouting was heard.

"Get ready, Katara," Sokka said. "The firebenders will be waiting on the other side of the gate."

Katara nodded. She took her place beside Appa, drawing more and more water toward herself in preparation. Toph stood on Appa's other side and planted her feet firmly on the ground.

Appa rammed the gate one last time. The wall crumpled inward. Fire came blasting at Appa through the dust. Katara leapt into action. A wall of water was thrown before the bison, who promptly reared backwards. Steam erupted into the air where water met fire. Toph took advantage of the sudden lack of vision and moved forward. Katara waited, unflinching, in the steam. Appa was back near the trees, Sokka and Hakoda at his side. Katara started bouncing on the balls of her feet. Any second now...

"Okay, got 'em!" Toph shouted through the mist.

Katara pulled the steam toward herself in a few deft movements and condensed it back into water. She dropped it back into one of the barrels. Most of the water had been lost into the air. She looked around. The firebenders lay scattered over the ground in various states of unconsciousness. Toph was a machine.

Katara exhaled slowly. All that waterbending had helped ease her agitated senses. She sort of felt like an animal during the full moon. She was at the mercy of her most primal instincts. It was unnerving, but she was getting used to it. She didn't like it. But there was nothing to be done. Master Pakku had warned her that becoming a waterbending master would open her up to this. His exact words were "such power comes with a price." She had power indeed. She sighed again. And this was the price.

"So now we just wait here and fight off anyone who comes our way until Aang comes out," Sokka said. He sounded tired. Katara looked around. They all looked tired. Not her though. She was wide awake. She'd never felt more awake in her life. She tilted her head a little. She could hear something going on inside the base. Toph heard it too.

"Someone's earthbending in there," she muttered.

Katara shook her head a little. "But there's no earth in there for him to bend," she said. "The cells are all metal."

"Are the cells on the ground floor?" Toph asked quickly.

"Yes... well, some of them are. The one I was in."

"Then he's probably bringing earth up through the floor."

Katara sighed again and started pacing. "I'm just glad he's trying to get out," she muttered under her breath.

"Me too," Toph replied. She dropped into a sitting position on the ground.

"Don't get too comfortable," Sokka said, pulling out his boomerang. "More guards will come."

"Yeah yeah, quite worrying, Snoozles," Toph grumbled.

Katara kept pacing. What would she do when Aang got out? What would she say to him? She had to think of something. She tried, but she kept getting distracted. She just kept thinking about him, how much she wanted him to be beside her _right now_. Thinking of that familiar smell, and that wonderful heat he radiated, and the sound of his voice, which had dropped an octave or two in the past months. Those stormy eyes she could look straight into now that he had grown to her height, if not a little taller. His laugh, his smile, his spirit... She groaned, frustrated. She was _hungry_.

The sounds of fighting were drawing closer. Guards began spilling out of the gates. Katara snapped out of her reverie and started moving, followed quickly by Toph and Sokka. Appa did his fair share, swatting firebenders aside with his tail. Even Momo provided the occasional distraction in the form of clinging to the face of an unfortunate firebender every so often. Hakoda stayed on Appa's head at the reins, still in no condition to fight.

After a short while of fighting, Katara began to worry. She was fine, but how long could the others keep this up? And where in the world was Aang?

They finally took down the current wave of firebenders. There had been ten or fifteen of them, but it had felt like a lot more. Toph and Sokka both promptly sat down on the dry earth.

"Ugh, do we have to do all of our fighting at night? When normal people would be sleeping?" Toph growled.

"Aang..." Katara muttered nervously. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, a loud crash rent the air. Sokka and Toph jumped to their feet. The captain's voice rang out, shouting "Don't let him escape!" A few moments later, Aang came flying out through the gate, running at top speed. He skidded to a stop, nearly crashing head-on into Katara. Running completely on adrenaline, she grabbed his hand without a word and jumped up into Appa's saddle, pulling him up after her. Sokka and Toph climbed up beside them.

"Appa, yip yip!" Sokka shouted as soon as everyone was safely on board. They took off into the air, soaring over the heads of the firebenders that continued flooding out of the base. He scrambled up to Appa's head, taking the reins from his father and guiding the flying bison in the right direction.

Aang was lying spread-eagle in the middle of the saddle, panting. Toph was already trying to fall asleep near the back. Hakoda remained beside his son. Katara was sitting beside Aang, inhaling deeply to calm her racing heartbeat. She looked down at him, and he grinned at her in a pleased sort of way.

"Told you I'd be fine," he said.

He hit her like a tidal wave. His smell, his heat, his voice, his smile... he had her hooked.

"So... you're okay? You're not hurt or anything?" she said, very aware of the full moon suspended over her, driving her mad with longing.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said simply, sitting up and looking at her carefully. "What about you?"

Katara stared at him. Her heart was going so fast, she was sure Toph would hear it thumping in her chest. "I... um..." she trailed off, transfixed. "Hungry..." she muttered.

"What?" Aang asked, not having heard that last word.

She bit her lip. She was fighting her instincts. They were screaming at her, and the moon was screaming with them. She finally moved toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him against her in a fierce embrace. She felt him inhale sharply in surprise as she buried her face in his neck, trying to control her breathing.

"You scared me," she breathed, voice heavy with emotion.

She felt his arms wrap around her waist. He pressed his face into her hair and inhaled deeply, as though he was trying to drink her in. "You scared me too," he replied shakily. "Don't ever give yourself up for my sake again."

"You too," she whispered. After a few blissful moments in his embrace, she pulled back and looked straight at him. "Promise?"

Aang began breathing rather quickly, both excited and unnerved by how close she was. He just nodded slowly. "Promise."

It was finally too much for her to handle. She couldn't resist anymore. He was so close, and the moon was so bright and irritating, and she was so tired of waiting. So she did it. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his in a swift, fierce kiss. When she pulled back, she opened her eyes carefully, but she didn't look at him. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her brain of that incredible taste he left in her mouth.

"Aang, I think I love you," she breathed. She opened her mouth to keep speaking, but everything she had planned, every thing she had wanted to say fled her mind. She had wanted to tell him that she knew they were young, and that she knew he had a burden to bear, but she wanted to help him. She wanted _him._ But she couldn't remember how to talk. She had just told him she loved him. She looked up at him. He was staring at her. She waited silently. Finally, he smiled. He grinned. He positively beamed at her. He leaned in close, resting his forehead against hers.

"Would you mind if we kissed again? That first one was great," he said lightly.

Katara laughed, grinning right back. "No, I wouldn't mind," she replied quietly. Maybe the full moon wouldn't bother her as much anymore.

Sokka and Hakoda glanced back over their shoulders.

"Ugh, this is going to take some getting used to," Sokka muttered, though he smiled a little all the same.


End file.
